


Hope Among the Darkness

by Sparky_Time



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Daredevil (Comics), Fantastic Four (Comicverse), Marvel, Spider-Man (Comicverse), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Banner Is a Good Bro, Damian is Robin, Damian is a little shit, Damian is petty, Damian's also bad at feelings, Dimension Travel, Everyone Needs A Hug, Human Disaster Matt Murdock, Jealous Bruce Wayne, Matt Murdock Angst, Protective Matt Murdock, Protective Steve Rogers, Stalker Tim Drake, Steve needs a hug too, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Tim doesn't like being the oldest, Tim has a coffee problem, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, mentioned TimKon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 20:04:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17351708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparky_Time/pseuds/Sparky_Time
Summary: Tim and Damian find themselves in the world of the Avengers. There's a lot of misunderstandings, feels, and most importantly, angst as these two struggle to find their way home.





	1. Prologue

     Just one quiet night in Gotham, was that so hard to ask? Tim widened his eyes as a string of bullets were fired at him. Nightwing had taken out the guy, but the machine gun soon became the least of their problems as Killer Croc pulled himself out of a sewage drain.  
  
     “Okay, who gave him a bazooka?!” Tim shouted as he noticed the weapon in the notorious villain’s arms.  
  
     “Tt, scared Drake?” Robin spat.  
  
     “Names on the field!” Nightwing scolded, taking out another one of the thugs with a modified back handspring.  
  
     Tim chose to ignore him. Instead, he focused on not getting hit by the bazooka in Croc’s arms. Except, it was trained on the demon brat. Of course Robin wasn’t paying any attention, and had his back turned. Tim sucked in a breath, making a b-line for his younger brother. Just because they sometimes fought didn’t mean he actually wanted him dead.  
  
     “Robin! Look out!” His warning came too late. Croc fired the bazooka, and Tim felt the blood drain from his face. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he lunged for Robin, tackling him to the ground. He hissed as the rocket grazed his shoulder, and braced himself for the inevitable.  
  
     There was a bright flash, searing pain, and then nothing but darkness.


	2. Bats and Hospitals Don't Mix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Damian wake up in a hospital. Barbara blocks their email.

     The first comprehensible thoughts Tim could manage were ‘Am I dead?’ That was the only logical explanation. Except, he could hear the faint echo of a heart monitor in the back of his mind, so he supposed he wasn’t.  
  
     The next thoughts were ‘Is Damian okay?’ He probably was; Tim had twisted himself in such a way that he’d taken the brunt of the blast, and he was alive. Yet there was still that lingering pit in his stomach that couldn’t help but give him the worst case scenario.  
  
     Tim focused on the heart monitor’s steady beats. He wanted to open his eyes, but they felt too heavy. He took a deep breath. ‘C’mon Timmy, you can do it!’ He told himself. For some reason, it sounded like Dick’s voice.  
  
     Finally, he managed to open them, but they immediately closed at the sudden brightness of the room. Why were hospitals always so goddamn bright? Wait… hospital?  
     That got Tim to shoot straight up, eyes wide. A quick scan around the room confirmed his suspicions. Hospital. Where was his mask? There was no way any hospital in Gotham would have even dared to take it off. The suit was still there, mostly. They’d apparently cut it in some places to get IV’s in.  
  
     The room was plain and boring, just like any ordinary hospital room was. Tim rubbed his head slightly before standing up. The heart monitor was strapped to his neck instead of his chest, probably because they couldn’t cut through the steel plating without risking his safety. He pulled the IV out first, though, so he wouldn’t alert the staff just yet. He yanked the pulse regulator off, and immediately stood up. His mask was lying on one of the guest chairs, along with his cape and belt. He took all of it, prepared to grapple out of there when another thought crossed his mind. ‘Damian…’  
  
     If he were here as well, it wouldn’t be in the hospital’s best interest for him to wake up here. Tim groaned, then slipped through the door. Thankfully, the first room he’d peered into had the sleeping figure of his younger brother. He slipped into it before hearing the panicked footsteps of some nearby nurses rushing into his room.  
  
     Tim grabbed the unconscious twelve-year-old before finally managing to grapple from the building. He looked for the first building that looked stable enough for his grappling line and fired, landing on the top of a medium sized skyscraper. Damian twitched as they landed, and Tim let out a sigh. “You can stop pretending to be unconscious now.”  
  
     “I’ve been feigning it for three hours,” Damian raised an eyebrow, but stood up nonetheless.  
  
     “Seriously? And what, you didn’t think to maybe get us out of there?” Tim crossed his arms.  
  
     “Where’s my mask?” Damian changed the subject. Tim sighed, handing him the object, along with his utility belt and cape.  
  
     “Now we just have to figure out where we are,” Tim frowned, looking at the mess of unfamiliar buildings.  
  
     “New York City, specifically Manhattan,” Damian recited off.  
  
     “How’d- Nevermind. I don’t wanna to know,” Tim shook his head. “We need somewhere to stay for the rest of the night. Do you know of any good safe houses?”  
  
     “No,” Damian shook his head.  
  
     “Do you have your emergency cash?” Tim grabbed his out of his pocket.  
  
     “Obviously,” Damian rolled his eyes, reaching into his own utility belt.  
  
     “Good,” Tim muttered something about counting it as he fingered through each individual bill. When he was finished, he looked up. “We could get a hotel room for the night?”  
  
     “That would be adequate, I suppose,” Damian placed the money in his pocket for the time being.  
  
     “That should give us enough time to figure out how the hell a bazooka got us to New York,” Tim wasn’t paying Damian any mind anymore, lost in his own thoughts. “Yeah… that could work.”  
  
     “Drake, what are you going on about?” Damian scrunched up his nose. Tim sighed.  
  
     “Let’s just… let’s just find a hotel first. We can figure everything else out later,” Tim swept a hand through his hair. Damian didn’t say anything, but Tim assumed he’d agreed because he followed Tim without any complaint.  
  
     Tim didn’t like the idea of stealing, but they couldn’t exactly go into the store with what they were wearing. Damian had thrown a bit of a fit at first, until Tim had explained his reasoning.  
     They walked into the first hotel they laid their eyes onto. The inside was alright. It wasn’t as nice as what they were used to, but they’d live. There were two different beds, thank god. Tim didn’t want to think about what would’ve happened if Damian and him had had to share one.  
  
At least the place had easy access to the library. Both Tim and Damian’s phones were broken beyond repair, and the comms weren’t working. Computers were necessary at this point.  
  
     Tim quickly created an email address for himself, and sent a message to Bruce.  
  
      _Hey B, we’re safe. We’re staying in Code: Zorro until further notice. Make sure NW doesn’t worry. -RR and R_  
  
     Another message was sent back shortly after.  
  
      _Is this some sort of prank?_  
  
      _No? -RR_  
  
      _What does RR, R, and NW stand for?_  
  
      _B, it’s Tim. Code: Zorro. Requesting assistance. I feel like Dami’s going to kill somebody if we’re in NYC much longer. It’s too sunny._  
What the heck is going on?  
  
     Tim breathed out a sigh, typing in Barbara’s email instead. If Bruce wasn’t going to be helpful for whatever reason, then maybe she could help figure out how they’d ended up in New York.  
  
      _Hey, O, it’s RR. Code: Zorro. Requesting assistance. R’s here too._  
  
      _Uh… what’s code zorro?_  
  
      _Not you too! First B, now you… I’m not joking! Robin seriously looks like he’s going to kill the librarian if we don’t get out of here soon. Patch me through to Nightwing and give me his ETA. Hell, I’ll even take Red Hood! Just somebody get us out of New York!_  
  
      _I don’t know who you’re talking about. I think you might be talking to the wrong person. Sorry._  
  
      _Babs, please! I’m really scared. We were in a hospital with our suits. You know how strict Bats is about hospitals. Can you please contact Dick and have him come pick us up?_  
  
     Barbara didn’t answer. That settled it.  
  
     “Damian, something is definitely wrong,” Tim turned around to face his younger brother. “Bruce didn’t answer to the code, and I’m pretty sure Babs just blocked me.”  
  
     Damian looked about ready to make some stupid retort before he froze. “Father didn’t answer to the code?” That wasn’t like Bruce, no matter who was talking to him. Code: Zorro was not a code that should be taken lightly, after all. Tim shook his head, and Damian felt his chest tighten.  
  
     “We’re… we’re on our own,” Damian blinked. Tim widened his eyes as Damian took off through the front door, but didn’t go after him. He’d be back, his suit was still here. He probably just needed some time to process everything.  
  
     Tim decided that if he was going to be stuck here, he may as well do something useful. Turning back to the computer, Tim did what he did best. He did some research.


	3. There's No Justice League

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim's internally screaming inside and you can't convince me otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter's super short! I'll try and get another one out as soon as possible.

     Tim bit his lip. Apparently, wherever they were, however they’d gotten here, the Justice League didn’t exist. Neither did any of the heroes that made that list up. Wayne Enterprises wasn’t around. Bruce Wayne was a police detective in a small town named Gotham. But it wasn’t anywhere near the Gotham Tim knew.  
  
     He quickly crossed asking Bruce for help getting home off his list.  
  
     Tim looked at the small pad of paper the hotel had so kindly provided for him. He’d used most of the pile for notes on this strange universe. Although there wasn’t a Justice League, there were a group who called themselves the Avengers. Tim glanced at the door. Where had Damian gone?  
  
     The answer came when he turned to notice the kid curled up and asleep in one of the hotel beds. Tim blinked, turning to look at the clock on his laptop. (He’d purchased it after the Librarian had told him that the library would be closing. It was a used one he’d been fortunate enough to get for only a hundred dollars. The only problem with it was that the color functions wouldn’t work.) 3:26 am.  
  
     Tim breathed a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he carefully shut the laptop closed. Research could wait until morning for now. Today had been tiring enough without finding out he was stuck in another universe.  
  
     A loud scream coming from below stopped him. Damian was instantly awake, looking at Tim. “I’ll check it out,” Tim grabbed his mask and suit before Damian could protest. He changed quickly, silently cursing the hospital for ripping it.  
  
     Grappling to the roof, Tim looked down and surveyed the situation. There was a woman being held at gunpoint by a man in a hoodie. The woman was frantically going through her purse. Tim narrowed his eyes, jumping down and landing squarely on the man's collarbone, hearing a sharp snap before flipping and landing on the gravel softly.  
  
     The man clutched his collarbone in pain, dropping the gun to the ground. Tim narrowed his eyes, then turned to woman. “Call the police, they can take it from here,” The woman nodded at Tim’s words, pulling out her phone. She fumbled with it for a second before holding it up to the ear. Tim grabbed a pair of standard cuffs, tying the man’s hands together before saluting the woman and grappling away. Tim let out a relieved sigh as he made it back to the hotel room.  
  
     Damian had fallen asleep once again, and Tim decided that sleeping as well would be ideal. He took of the mask, giving a slight smile as he saw Damian’s chest rise and fall with steady breaths. He didn’t look quite so dangerous while he was asleep. Tim knew better, though.  
  
     Slipping out of his costume, Tim set it inside the closet carefully next to his younger brother’s. He didn’t bother to put the stolen clothes back on, simply choosing to sleep in his underwear. He closed his eyes, and focused on the faint sound of his brother’s breathing, eventually matching its pace.  
  
              _Everything’s going to be okay… I hope._


	4. Tim's Coffee Expectations and Tim's Coffee Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim has a definite coffee problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in one night! I felt guilty about how short the last one was, so here's another one for you guys. Enjoy!

     The sun’s unforgiving rays were what woke Tim up that morning. He looked over and noticed that Damian was gone (again). Tim sighed, rubbing his eyes. Quickly stretching, Tim smiled as he looked at the clock. Breakfast would still be open downstairs, which meant coffee. Tim liked the idea of a cup of coffee.  
  
     He almost walked straight out the door before realizing he didn’t have any clothes on. Slightly blushing, he grabbed the stolen clothing and put it on, walking out the door barefoot.  
  
     The smell of coffee wafted in from the breakfast room. Tim closed his eyes as he walked in, cherishing the scent. Damian was sitting alone at one of the tables, his own cup of coffee in hand, but who cared about that when Tim saw the beautiful coffee machine sitting on the counter behind him.  
  
     Tim’s mouth may or may not have been drooling at this point. The truth will never be known.  
  
     Tim practically floated towards the machine grabbing a cup out of the dispenser and instantly filling it with steaming hot deliciousness. Not even bothering to put a lid on it, Tim took a large gulp. It tasted heavenly on his tongue, and he instantly refilled the half he’d drank already.  
  
     Deciding to walk over to where Damian was sitting, Tim didn’t notice a young girl run in front of him. Widening his eyes as his coffee splashed all over Damian, Tim watched the boy go from shocked to angry within .02 seconds flat.  
  
     “DRAKE!” The shout rang throughout the breakfast hall. Several heads snapped in their direction, and a few stifled laughs could be heard through the trained ear. Tim paid them no mind. This was probably the day he’d die. “These are the _only_ clothes I have! You complete and utter imbecile! I demand repercussions!”  
  
     “Damian, I’m sorry,” Tim apologized, wincing slightly.  
  
     “Sorry? Sorry!” Damian sneered, grabbing what was left of his coffee and walking over to Tim. He stood on top of a chair, and before Tim knew what was happening, there was luke-warm coffee slipping down his face. “Oh, you will be,” Damian hissed in his ear before marching out of the breakfast hall, most likely going back up to their hotel room.  
  
     Tim sighed, grabbed some napkins from the dispenser, and went to cleaning up the coffee that was all over the floor (and a few tables). The little girls mother, or at least who Tim _assumed_ was the girl’s mother, helped him with the task. Tim wiped his hair down too.  
  
     Finally, _finally_ able to get his cup of coffee and sit at the corner of the room, Tim let out a deep sigh. This is what he’d been waiting for all morning. Everyone except for one guy who’s gaze was fixed on the television screen had left the room, leaving it relatively quiet. Tim went back over to the machine and refilled his cup, then grabbed another three cups of coffee. He was about to go back up to the room when he noticed free Rockstars in the mini-fridge. He took two of those.  
  
     The hard part was getting all the coffee back up to the hotel room. Tim managed though. The shower was on in the bathroom, so Tim assumed that was where Damian was currently. Tim set his coffee on top of the table in the back, grabbing one of them off the top and sitting on the edge of his bed. He turned the TV on, channel surfing until he finally settled on the news.  
  
     Half paying attention, half focused on drinking his coffee, Tim stared blankly into the screen. The shower turned off after a few minutes, and Damian stepped out in full Robin gear, minus the mask. Tim raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment, choosing to stare at the screen again. He was on the third cup now.  
  
     “‘Tt’,” Damian rolled his eyes. “You have a coffee problem, Drake.”  
  
     “Huh?” Tim looked at him quizzically for a moment before he blinked one again. “Yeah, maybe.”  
  
     “Maybe?” Damian crossed his arms with a huff, but didn’t say any more.  
  
     “Hey, Damian, do you want to go on patrol with me?” Tim offered.  
  
     “In broad daylight?” Damian raised an eyebrow. Tim shook his head.  
  
     “Not _right now_. I was thinking maybe we’d go around dusk. I’ve been researching and it seems these ‘Avengers’ don’t patrol too much,” Tim took another sip of his coffee as he studied Damian’s expression.  
  
     “Fine. Besides, you do owe me for spilling coffee all over me earlier,” Damian crossed his arms.  
  
     “It was an accident!” Tim defended, throwing his now empty cup into the trash. “Whatever,” Tim sighed, deciding a shower wouldn’t be a bad idea.


	5. Daredevils and Robins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim's really regretting not researching the heroes outside of the Avengers.

     Tim gave a slight smile as the wind brushed through his air. Grappling was one of his favorite parts of being Red Robin. He wouldn’t go as far as to say it was his absolute, but it was definitely up there.  
  
     Damian flew beside him, a stoic expression on his face. Tim rolled his eyes, landing perfectly on the side of a building. Damian stumbled slightly upon impact with the gravel-topped roof, and Tim had to stifle a laugh.  
  
     “Shut up, Drake,” Damian hissed, glaring at him through the white slits in his mask. Tim smirked slightly, but the soft crunch of feet on gravel distracted both of them. They turned to see a man wearing a red suit. He wasn’t looking towards them, but Tim could tell that he was aware of their presence.  
  
     “What are you doing on rooftops?” The guy’s voice startled him, but Tim remained calm.  
  
     “I could ask you the same question,” Tim crossed his arms.  
  
     “This is a waste of time,” Damian drawled, grabbing his grappling hook and pointing it towards the next building. Tim held out an arm, and Damian slowly lowered the grapple.  
  
     “Aren’t you a little young for this?” The man turned around. Damian bristled, and Tim suddenly remembered something. Damian _hated_ being told he was too young for something, especially combat. He also liked to prove himself.  
  
     “Robin-” Tim whispered, trying to warn him not to engage, but it was too late. With a growl, Damian rushed the red-clad man. The man simply side-stepped, and Tim could practically feel him raising an eyebrow.  
  
     Damian tried to punch the guy, but his arm was caught midway. Smirking, Damian kicked his right leg towards the back of the man’s head, and his left towards one of the man’s knees. The man managed to dodge the blow towards his head, but he was struck in the knee. He gave a slight grunt, but wasn’t deterred too much. Damian used the wrist that the man was holding onto, dislocating his thumb and then twisting the other man’s wrist enough to squeeze his significantly smaller hands through. The man must have been used to dislocated thumbs, because he didn’t even flinch before popping it back in place.  
  
     All the while, Tim watched.  
  
     “I’d surrender now, if I were you,” Daredevil informed. Damian simply spat in his face.  
  
     Finally, the man got a solid blow to Damian’s head, knocking him out cold. Damian slinked forwards, and Tim full out laughed. “Oh he is _not_ going to be happy when he wakes up!”  
  
     The man turned towards Tim, and he realized that the guy was expecting him to attack too. Tim held his arms up in surrender, though if the guy brought out a pair of handcuffs he was going to be out of there quicker than the guy could blink.  
  
     “Sorry about my little brother, he doesn’t like it when people hurt his pride,” Tim smirked, watching the small child’s breath rise and fall steadily. He wouldn’t be knocked out for too long though, he never was. He was hoping to bide his time until he did, that way he wouldn’t have to carry him. Although, he was slightly considering ditching him with this guy. “You aren’t like… a supervillain or anything, are you?”  
  
     The gave him the most confused look he could from underneath a cowl. It smoothed out quickly though. “No, I’m Daredevil.”  
  
     “Red Robin,” Tim held out a hand. He was still a bit nervous about offering out a hand to the guy that had just wiped out his brother, but he didn’t think this guy would try to hurt him if he didn’t attack first. The guy shook his hand, and slipped a cuff on his arm simultaneously. Tim smiled slightly. The cuffs were simple police grade, easy to pick the lock off of.  
  
     Damian twitched. It wouldn’t be long before he woke up. “You realize you can’t put me in jail, right? A) I’m only seventeen, and B) I haven’t done anything against the law, unless heroism is against the law, but if it is, then it’d be pretty hypocritical if you turned me in for that.”  
  
     Daredevil froze, before he faced Tim. “Heroism? Try vigilantism.”  
  
     “Vigilantes kill people, and I don’t kill people. Therefore, heroism,” Tim scowled. Damian twitched again. Tim grabbed the small lock pick he had hidden in the seams of his uniform and got to work.  
  
     “I wouldn’t try that if I were you,” Daredevil warned. Tim unlocked the handcuffs with ease before tilting his head.  
  
     “Try what?” He gave an innocent smile. Not that this guy could see it.  
  
     “You picked the lock,” Daredevil didn’t seem impressed in the slightest.  
  
     “Yeah, I did. I’ll admit it,” Tim brought his hands forwards once again. This time a quiet groan escaped Damian. There was no way this Daredevil guy missed that.  
  
     “Grayson?” Damian questioned, his eyes beginning to blink open. He caught sight of Tim, and instantly glared. “Drake!” He spat out, standing up almost instantly.  
  
     “Yeah,” Tim sighed. “P.S., no names on the field, Robin. You’re really bad at that rule,” Tim sighed.  
  
     “Drake, huh?” Damian spun around. It seemed he’d completely forgotten about Daredevil. Tim frowned.  
  
     “Now look what you’ve done,” He crossed his arms. Damian was too busy glaring at Daredevil to notice. “We wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for you!” Tim growled.  
  
     Damian finally turned around. “I…”  
  
     “Yeah, you! If you had been actually paying attention, we wouldn’t be in this mess!” Tim crossed his arms, scowling at his younger brother.  
  
     “Well, if you hadn’t leaped _in front of the blast_ like some sort of idiot, you wouldn’t be here!” Damian shouted.  
  
     “If you don’t want me around, then why don’t you just leave?” Tim sneered. Damian paused for a moment. His face contorted with anger. Damian ran towards the edge of the building, taking a grapple and propelling himself to another building. Tim watched him leave.  
  
     “Why?” Tim turned to see Daredevil, a frown on his face.  
  
     “He didn’t want to be stuck here with _me_ anyways,” Tim muttered.  
  
     “You’re just going to let a kid run around New York City by himself?” Daredevil questioned.  
  
     “Please. That kid runs around Gotham by himself, he’ll be fine in New York,” Tim glared at Daredevil. What did he know, anyways? Damian _hates_ Tim. Why would he want to be stuck in some weird version of New York with him?  
  
     “Gotham? How could it possibly be more dangerous than New York?” Daredevil questioned.  
  
     “Do you have killer clowns that like to blow up schools and hospitals?” Tim raised an eyebrow.  
  
     “No,” Daredevil responded curtly.  
  
     “My point exactly,” Tim let out a sigh. “Look, I appreciate the concern, but both Robin and I have been at this for years. We don’t need anybody telling us we’re too young to be out here.”  
  
     “Really?” Daredevil leaned against a wall. “So that’s why the little punk was so easy to beat.”  
  
     “Trust me, you wouldn’t have been able to beat him if he were allowed to have a sword,” Tim smirked lightly. “And besides, you don’t have to worry about him running off anyways. I have a tracker.”  
  
     Tim pressed a button on the screen hidden in his glove. It turned on, but Damian’s tracker was offline. “...Crap.” Tim muttered.  
  
     “Computer troubles?” Daredevil questioned.  
  
     “No, he ditched the tracker,” Tim grimaced as he spotted the small device on the ground beside the wall, crushed.  
  
     “That sounds problematic,” Daredevil had a grin on his face.  
  
     “What, like you know where he is?” Tim raised an eyebrow.  
  
     “As a matter of fact… He’s on top of the Rand Enterprises building,” Daredevil’s grin returned to a flat line. “He’s crying, just a heads up.”  
  
     “He’s what?” Tim blinked, slightly shocked. He shook his head. “Nevermind. Where’s the Rand Enterprises building?”  
  
     “Three buildings West from here,” Daredevil tilted his head towards the West. “I still don’t think you kids should be out here.”  
  
     “Yeah, you’ve made that point perfectly clear,” Tim gave him a slight glare.  
  
     “We’ll talk later,” Daredevil promised. “Don’t worry, I’ll find you.”  
  
     “Have fun with that,” Tim muttered, preparing a grappling hook.  
  
     Tim landed on the ground softly. He could hear quiet sobs, and a lob of guilt washed over him. “Damian?” He asked. The sobs stopped almost instantly.  
  
     “Go away,” Damian’s voice was hoarse.  
  
     “Look, Damian, I… I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” Tim sat against the wall that hid the stairwell. He knew Damian was on the other side, but he also knew Damian had been crying and probably wouldn’t want Tim to see him like that.  
  
     “You didn’t know that it wouldn’t have killed me,” Damian finally spoke. It was quiet, and Tim could barely hear him. “You jumped in front of the blast. You could have died.”  
  
     “Hey, it’s what heroes do. They protect people,” The corners of Tim’s mouth twitched up. “Even if they sometimes want to strangle that person.”  
  
     “Please, Drake, you wouldn’t be _able_ to strangle me,” Damian quipped. Ah, that was the Damian Tim knew and and loved.  
  
     “You’re absolutely right. Batman’s no kill rule would prevent me from doing so,” Tim chuckled. “That, and I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself if I did.”  
  
     “Can we go back to the hotel now? I’m cold,” Damian stepped into Tim’s view. Tim cracked a true smile.  
  
     “I thought you didn’t get cold?” Tim joked, but Damian simply glared. Tim held his arms up in surrender. “Fine, fine. We can go back to the hotel.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so, that's Chapter 5. It's finally a longer chapter. In fact, this chapter alone is almost double the length of the other chapters before it combined. Thank you guys for all the kudos and comments! I did not expect this story to get so many so fast! :)


	6. Sandface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Damian go up against Sandman. It doesn't end well at all. Daredevil intervenes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Finally! (Sorry for the long wait, I've been a bit busy this week :) 
> 
> Real quick wanted to give a quick THANK YOU for all of the kudos and comments! You guys are amazing! 
> 
> More notes down below~

     Tim dodged a hand made of sand. “This guy-” He dodged again, “-is _not_ as easy to take down as Clayface.”  
  
     “What gave it away?” Damian grunted beside him.  
  
     “The fact that we’re still fighting him?” Tim frowned, taking a jab at the man made of sand. It didn’t do anything except suck his bo-staff into the endless void of sand. “That’s not good.”  
  
     Tim watched as a giant sandy hand came his way. He was about to dodge when it suddenly jerks to his left. Tim was puzzled until he heard Damian let out a shriek of surprise as he was tossed into the air. “Robin!” Tim widened his eyes as Damian began to fall.  
  
     Before Tim could go after him, the hand slammed him in the back, knocking him into a brick wall. Tim rolled over just in time for the giant fist to slam into the mixture of concrete and gravel he’d been on just a second before. He leaped into the air, but instead of landing, he felt a strong jolt.  
  
     The sandy hand had grabbed a hold of his cape. Tim struggled to get out, but it was no use. Dangling over the edge of the building, at least seventy feet above the ground, he went limp. There’s no way he’d survive a fall like that, and his grappling hook wasn’t in his utility belt to save him. Tim waited for the inevitable.  
  
     “This is a really sad way to go,” Tim muttered. He closed his eyes tightly.  
  
     The sound of water spraying made Tim wince. Clayface usually used water to make himself larger. Perhaps this Sandface guy was doing the same thing? It didn’t matter. Tim was as good as dead anyways.  
  
     Tim felt himself beginning to fall, but then something pinned his cape to the wall. Tim looked up. He was only about five feet from the top of the building, but he couldn’t tell what was pinning his cape up. Tim sighed, trying to think up a way to get back up there.  
  
     A few minutes later, that same guy they’d run into a few nights ago peered over the edge. Daredevil, he reminded himself. Daredevil offered a hand to Tim, who accepted it, if only because he couldn’t think of a better way to get up.  
  
     “Robin,” Tim widened his eyes. Damian was clutching his arm, and had a small cut on his forehead. It wasn’t deep, and there wasn’t too much blood.  
  
     “I broke my wrist,” Damian hissed slightly. Tim stood there for about three seconds before running towards him.  
  
     “You’re okay, though,” Tim hugged him. Suddenly he felt a wave of guilt. When was the last time he’d hugged Damian? He couldn’t remember. Dick would be appalled.  
  
     “Get _off_ me, Drake,” Damian pushed his way out. Tim sighed, relieved.  
  
     “What were the two of you _thinking?”_ Daredevil stood there. Damian glared, but Tim simply frowned.  
  
     “He’s similar to a guy we know back home,” Tim sighed. “We were treating him like Clayface, but seeing as he apparently has a bad time with water, I’d say they’re fairly different.”  
  
     “Please, at least Clayface has the decency to not fling people off of buildings,” Damian scoffed.  
  
     “You’ve obviously never met Karlo,” Tim muttered, wincing at the memory. He coughed, and Damian was instantly alert.  
  
     “Drake, are you ill?” He looked genuinely concerned.  
  
     “No, I think I just got a little sand up my nose,” Tim rolled his eyes. “Geez, I didn’t know you cared so much.”  
  
     “It would not bode well if you died due to your terrible immune system,” Damian defended, beginning to stand up. Daredevil stared them both down.  
  
     “I thought that you’d be alright on your own, but clearly, I’m mistaken,” Daredevil crossed his arms. Tim frowned.  
  
     “Do we have a contingency plan for this?” Tim asked Damian, who simply shrugged. “Whatever. Fine.” Tim turned back to Daredevil. “Why would we go with you?”  
  
     “Because you’ve been living in a hotel for the past week?” Daredevil frowned. “You can’t tell me you aren’t going to run out of money for that eventually.”  
  
     “That is a good point,” Tim glanced towards Damian. “But why should we trust you?”  
  
     “I saved you from Sandman, didn’t I?” Daredevil reminded them.  
  
     “Alright, fine. But you have to tell us your name. Your real name,” Tim bargained.  
  
     “If you tell me the rest of yours, Drake,” Daredevil agreed. Tim sighed, debating if it was worth it or not.  
  
     “Tim Drake,” He peeled the mask off carefully.  
  
     “Matt Murdock,” The man didn’t remove his cowl, but Tim had all the information he needed. He figured it wouldn’t be too hard to find a Matt Murdock who lived in the area.  
  
     “I do not approve of this plan, Drake,” Damian hissed under his breath.  
  
     “Listen, Robin,” Tim turned to face him. “We’re literally starting to run out of options. Nobody’s come to pick us up yet, we’re starting to run out of money, supplies…” Tim took a deep breath. “Besides, your so _particular_ about not sleeping in alleyways.”  
  
     “My grandparents were _murdered_ in an alleyway,” Damian sneered.  
  
     “First off, they’re technically my grandparents too, second, that was at least 30 years ago, if not more. Sure, Bats is still a bit hung up over it, but I mean, he was only eight and watched his parents get shot. It’s not exactly an easy thing to get over,” Tim pointed out. Damian rolled his eyes.  
  
     “I’d already killed by the time I was eight,” He crossed his arms.  
  
     “Yeah, and it’s really unfortunate that you had a really shi- er, _crappy_ mom, and I’m sorry. If Bats had known about you, you can bet your a- _butt_ , that he’d have been there quicker than you could blink with the rage of hell’s armies,” Tim placed a hand on Damian’s shoulder.  
  
     “From what little I’ve heard of your mother, I’m about to bring the rage of hell’s armies on her myself,” Daredevil muttered.  
  
     “Oh, you should meet his grandfather sometime,” Tim frowned, clear displeasure written across his face. Damian scowled at him, but Tim just rolled his eyes. “What? It’s true.” Damian stared at him for a second longer before wincing. He’d accidentally rubbed his wrist the wrong way. Daredevil frowned. It almost seemed as though he were pouting, but not quite.  
  
     “Come on, I know a guy who can’t say no to helping you guys out,” Daredevil sighed, walking towards the edge of the building. He turned, almost seeming to raise an eyebrow at the two boys. “Well? Are you coming or not?”  
  
     “I’d prefer not,” Damian muttered under his breath, but followed anyways. Tim was a bit more hesitant. What if what he’d just agreed to got his brother hurt, or worse? It would be all his fault this time. “Hurry up, Drake! Your inner thoughts are wasting time!” Damian shouted. Tim creased his brow.  
  
      _Here goes nothing…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in case any of you guys are wondering how Tim and Dami were so easily beat: They don't know Sandman's fighting style, nor his weaknesses. Plus, they're expecting him to be more like Clayface, which he isn't. So yeah, that's my reasoning for them loosing. 
> 
> But again, thank you all for the kudos and comments. :) 
> 
> I'll be back soon (hopefully) with the next chapter!


	7. Matt's Always Bringing Justice to the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bat bros finally get out of the hotel. It's a miracale

     “No,” Tony frowned.  
  
     “Please?” Matt gestured towards Damian. Tim was enjoying this. Tim was thoroughly enjoying this. Matt had taken them to Tony Stark. Tim had read all about him, and he was fairly certain the eccentric man was not a kid person.  
  
     “I absolutely _refuse_ to live with a man who _admitted_ to being a so-called hero publically!” Damian shouted, glaring at Matt with such intensity that Tim wondered how the man wasn’t even slightly intimidated.  
  
     “It’s temporary,” Matt stated. Tim was fairly certain that the words were meant for the both of them.  
  
     “I’m not staying here,” Damian sneered. “It is too much of a target, much like Titan’s Tower,” That last bit was sent towards Tim, who frowned.  
  
     “Oh come on! I didn’t even build it! Besides, even if someone did manage to sneak in, half the people that live there are bulletproof!” Tim downed the rest of his coffee.  
  
     “The only truly bulletproof one is Superboy,” Damian muttered dryly. Matt cleared his throat, and Damian seemed to suddenly remember his task of glaring at Tony Stark.  
  
     “Tony, it’s just until they can figure out how to get home,” Matt pleaded.  
  
     “I’ll look into finding them a ticket home, sure, but they’re not staying here,” Tony rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You take ‘em.”  
  
     “I- No way!” Matt didn’t get a chance to continue arguing before Tony slammed the door in his face. Letting out a sigh, the man looked towards Tim and Damian. He gave them a confused frown, looking at Tim’s cup of coffee.  
  
     “When did you even get that?” He blurted out, but then shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s just get you checked out of the hotel, and then you guys can… stay… at my place.”  
  
     Matt didn’t seem too happy about his current predicament. Tim and Damian slipped into the hotel room through the window, slipping on civvies before packing everything up, and heading down the stairs.  
  
     They were approached by a blind man on the street. “Come on, then,” The man sighed, and Tim widened his eyes.  
  
     “ _You’re_ Daredevil?” He whispered, making sure that nobody was in earshot. Matt nodded.  
  
     “What? Just because I’m blind means I can’t beat up bad guys?” He raised an eyebrow.  
  
     “Well, no. It’s just… I’ve never actually met a blind superhero before,” Tim rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
     “What do you mean you’ve never met a blind hero?” Damian added suddenly, and Tim jumped slightly.  
  
     “I’m talking medically blind, Damian, not training blind,” Tim sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in embarrassment.  
  
     “Oh,” Damian deflated. They began walking along in silence.  
  
     “So, what do you do when you _aren’t_ bringing justice to the world?” Tim phrased his words carefully as a young couple walked past them.  
  
     “I’m always bringing justice to the world,” Matt replied. “I believe you were referring to what my occupation is, though. I’m a lawyer.”  
  
     “Nice,” Tim cracked a smile.  
  
     “Our brother is police officer,” Damian supplied, hands in his pockets.  
  
     “Huh,” Matt nodded, before he went up a set of stairs. “I should probably warn you. There’s a billboard that I’m told is pretty bright at night.”  
  
     “That’s fine, I don’t usually sleep at night anyways,” Tim shrugged. “There is one thing I needed to ask you about though. I have some medication I need, and my supplies are running short on it.”  
  
     “What kind of medication?” Matt seemed suspicious.  
  
     “I had to get my spleen removed,” Tim looked down, still a bit self-conscious about it. Matt nodded in approval.  
  
     “I can take you to the doctor’s office to get it, but I don’t know how you’ll manage the rest,” Matt grabbed three glasses of water, handing one to both boys and keeping the last for himself.  
  
     “No problem,” Tim sipped the water then set it on the counter, pulling his laptop out and getting to work. “And… done!”  
  
     “That was fast,” Matt finished the rest of his water and placed the cup in the sink.  
  
     “We need to be there sometime between 3:30 and 7:00 tomorrow night,” Tim closed his laptop. Damian looked around the room silently, and Tim could tell he was still tense. “Hey, do you have any paper and pencils?”  
  
     “Sure?” Matt walked into another room, pulling out a small stack of computer paper and a pack of brand new pencils, along with a sharpener. “I’ve never really had a use for pencils,” He explained. Tim shrugged, handing the supplies to Damian, who looked at him in shock for a few seconds before folding himself up on the couch.  
  
     “Thanks,” Tim smiled lightly, watching his brother concentrate in silence. “Not just for the paper, but for everything.”  
  
     “Don’t expect me to say something stupid like ‘that’s what heroes do,’ because it’s not happening,” Matt opened the fridge. “How about you help make dinner?”  
  
     “I mean, sure, but… I’ve never actually cooked anything before,” Tim slowly stood up. He stared into the fridge.  
  
     “Not once?” Matt blinked.  
  
     “I made a sandwich that one time,” Tim recalled.  
  
     “Kid, we’re going to have to change that,” Matt shook his head.  
  
     “Is now a bad time to mention that Damian’s vegetarian?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading this! I'm already past a hundred kudos, which is... wow. I might make a one-shot of Matt teaching Tim how to cook if you guys want, so comment if that's something you would like to see in the near future.


	8. Mission Accomplished

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was an ingenious plan, really-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short filler chapter, but I finally updated. Hooray! Hopefully the next one will be up fairly soon. (I'm not making any promises on exact dates or anything though.) Alright, I think that's all I wanted to mention. Good day/night everybody!

     “I’m bored,” Tim complained, sliding off the couch and onto the ground. Damian looked up from his drawing.  
  
     “I hate to agree with Drake, but I second that,” He closed the notebook that Matt had brought home for him the day before, sliding his pencil through the metal rings.  
  
     “I wish Kon were here,” Tim sighed. Damian rolled his eyes. When he realized Matt couldn’t see the action, he made a gagging noise. “He’s my boyfriend,” Tim supplied. Matt nodded in understanding.  
  
     “Thinking about him makes you happier,” Matt chuckled. Tim tilted his head.  
  
     “And you know that because…?” He creased his eyebrows.  
  
     “Your heartbeat sped up while you were thinking about him,” Matt supplied.  
  
     “Oh,” Tim blushed slightly.  
  
     “Drake, you’re ridiculous,” Damian rolled his eyes.  
  
     “I petition lunch!” Tim jumped up, eager for a change in subject. (It was starting to become a bit awkward.)  
  
     “For once you’ve had a decent idea,” Damian slowly rose from his seat, sitting on the counter. Matt shook his head, muttering about how ‘this was why he’d never wanted kids.’  
  
     “Alright, so… bread, and then you spread the mustard and mayo on the bread, and then you put everything else in the middle…” Tim repeated the steps aloud. Damian’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich was already half devoured. (Matt had made it for him.)  
  
     “Wonderful, Drake, you’ve truly mastered the art of culinary,” Damian gave a sarcastically slow clap.  
  
     “You didn’t even make your sandwich!” Tim complained.  
  
     "That is irrelevant. Besides, your cooking is most definitely worse than mine," Damian frowned.   
  
     "My cooking isn't _that_ bad," Tim scowled.   
  
     “Do I even need to remind you of the pancake incident?” Damian raised an eyebrow.  
  
     “You ate them without complaint,” Tim muttered quietly.  
  
     “They were made with Rockstar energy drinks, kale, peanut butter, marshmallows, coffee, flour, sugar, protein powder, oatmeal, fresh berries, cinnamon, apples, chocolate, and vegetable soup. They didn’t even deserve to be considered pancakes. However, I was trained from a young age that taste is irrelevant so long as it is edible,” Damian stuck his nose into the air with his arms crossed.  
  
     “Yeah, but at least I didn’t train a _cow_ to keep certain people from entering the batcave,” Tim grumbled, biting into his sandwich.  
  
     “I cannot be held responsible for who Batcow chooses to hate,” Damian responded.  
  
     “Yes, you can! You fed her treats every single time she charged after me!” Tim accused, taking another satisfying bite of his amazing sandwich.  
  
     “If I agree to let you come on patrol with me, will you two please stop arguing!” Matt finally cut in, having heard enough.  
  
     Tim and Damian high fived each other, Tim sitting down next to his younger brother.  
  
     “This was planned?” Matt sighed. “Unbelievable.”  
  
     “Father always said we could work wonders working together,” Damian smirked, pleased with the prospect of getting to patrol.  
  
     “Besides, Matt, it was only a matter of time before we snuck out anyways,” Tim waved him off. “Hey, Damian, do you think we should take over the world next?”  
  
     “Don’t push your luck, Drake. I still hate you,” Damian glared. Tim shrugged, finishing his sandwich.  
  
     “Either way, mission accomplished,” Tim winked at his brother.


	9. Contingency Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian and Tim need to start thinking about the future; it's been three weeks and they still haven't gotten anywhere with their plans to go home.

     “How about a deal,” Matt sighed, plopping down onto the couch.  
  
     “What kind of deal?” Tim looked at him skeptically. Damian looked up from his notebook.  
  
     “I’ll let you come on patrol with me, on weekends, if I can enroll you in school,” Matt crossed his arms. Damian stood up, notebook flopping onto the ground.  
  
     “What?” He shouted (read: shrieked), mouth hanging slack jawed as he stared at Matt incredulously.  
  
     “We can pretend you’re an old friend of mine’s kids, and that I agreed to take care of you while they were away for some kind of work trip or something. Besides, it might be good for you to get out of the house and talk to kids around your age,” Matt reasoned.  
  
     “I… guess,” Tim sighed. “Plus, we don’t know exactly how long we’ll be stuck here. It might be a good idea to have a high school diploma and stuff if we end up staying long term.”  
  
     “We _aren’t_ staying long term,” Damian growled, sitting back down with a scowl and his arms folded across his chest. He didn’t bother to pick his notebook up.  
  
     “Damian, look. It’s already been almost three weeks. What if it’s another? A month, a year even? We can’t just stay hiding in Matt’s apartment for that long. All I’m saying is that we aren’t getting anywhere fast. Didn’t Bruce tell you to always be prepared for the worst case scenario?” Tim frowned. He understood why Damian was upset. In fact, he was a little upset too, if he were being honest. But he knew his words were true. They couldn’t stay in Matt’s apartment forever. What if they ended up stuck here for three years? More? They’d need their own apartments, jobs, and even friends. Most of which would require them to go to school.  
  
     “Listen, Damian. I know you want to go home. I want you to be able to go home too, but your brother makes a good point. Please?” Matt tried. Damian glared holes into the coffee table, but he let out a huff.  
  
     “I need some air,” He walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him. Tim was about to go after him, but Matt stopped him.  
  
     “Give him a little bit of time to himself. He needs to process,” Matt sighed. Tim ran a hand through his hair, but sat back down.  
  
     “Yeah, you’re probably right. I can help you register us for school. They’ll want records, and they’ll want proof that you’re our current guardian,” Tim gave an uneasy smile before standing up.  
  
     “Oh, you meant right now, okay then…” Matt stayed there as Tim grabbed his laptop and sat down next to him on the couch.  
  
     “Alright… just let me work on some records first…” Tim began typing expertly. Matt rested his head against the back of the couch, listening to Tim type. Tim hummed slightly throughout the whole process, sometimes pausing to think for a bit. “Okay… that should do it.”  
  
     “I’m going to sign Damian up for high school, even though he’s supposed to be in the eighth grade. We’ll just age him up a little bit, should be fine,” Tim turned to Matt.  
  
     “Would he be ready for high school?” Matt raised an eyebrow. Tim flat out laughed.  
  
     “He’ll be fine, trust me,” Tim chuckled. He frowned when he got to the date of birth bit. “Crap, what is Damian’s birthday…?” He’d never really thought about it. He could vaguely remember going to both of the birthday parties he’d had while living at the manor, but he couldn’t be positive of what the exact date was.  
  
     “He’s just down the hall, sounds like he’s coming back,” Matt noted. Tim waited for him to enter the room.  
  
     “Hey, Damian, what’s your date of birth?” Tim called over his shoulder as the he entered.  
  
     “September sixth,” Damian frowned.  
  
     “Wait… September sixth… that’s… that was last week!” Tim widened his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”  
  
     “I… didn’t think you’d care,” Damian muttered, looking down.  
  
     “What do you mean you didn’t think we’d care! Of course we would!” Tim shouted, hands going straight into the air. “Damian!”  
  
     “It’s not like I required anything special,” Damian rolled his eyes.  
  
     “But still! At the very least we would’ve said _happy birthday_!” Tim shook his head. “That makes you, what, thirteen now?” Damian nodded slowly. Tim gave him a slight smile. “Hey, it’s okay. But seriously, don’t let anybody go throughout your birthday unknowingly again, alright?”  
  
     “Whatever,” Damian huffed, grabbing his notebook off the floor, and sitting back on the chair.  
  
     “Well, you’ll be pleased to know that you and I will both be going to Midtown High School,” Tim put his feet on the coffee table. “Congratulations, I promoted you up to Freshman. That way we won’t have to go to different schools.”  
  
     Damian didn’t answer, choosing to draw instead. Tim sighed, leaning against the back of the couch and closing his eyes. “We start next week.” He added, not that Damian was paying any attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's super short, but I hope you guys all enjoyed it anyways. I also have no idea when Damian's actual birthday is, I just used September 6th for this story.


	10. School Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Damian go to school. That's it. That's all that happens.

     Tim shifted the backpack onto his shoulder, walking carefully through the halls. This was his first time ever stepping foot into a public school, and so far he wasn’t too impressed. The nice thing about this place was that it was a science oriented school, which would hopefully pose a bit more of a challenge for him and Damian.  
  
     Which was what lead him to AP Chemistry. His teacher was supposed to be Mr. Lopez, but the man was nowhere in sight. He sat down just as the bell rang, glancing around the classroom.  
  
     A kid ran in with wide eyes, noticed the absence of their teacher, and sat down next to Tim without another word, breathing heavily. Tim scooted over to give him a bit more room right as another kid walked into class late, sitting towards the very back of the class.  
  
     Three more people walked in late before their teacher finally showed up. He strode in calmly, writing ‘Molecules and Compounds’ across the top of the board before finally addressing the class.  
  
     “We have a new student today,” He raised an eyebrow, and Tim felt himself blushing as all eyes drifted over towards him. “A Timothy Drake, if I remember correctly,” Mr. Lopez gave a slight smile.  
  
     Tim nodded. “I go by Tim,” He gave his usual charming smile.  
  
     “Yes, well, you’re just two weeks behind, but I expect you to catch up quickly. Parker?” Mr. Lopez was staring at one of the kids who had actually not been late. “You don’t do any extracurriculars after school today, correct?”  
  
     “Well, yeah, but-”  
  
     “Excellent, you can help Drake over here with everything he’s missed. Figure everything else out on your own. Now,” Mr. Lopez went back to the board. “Who wants to refresh the class on the difference between ions and isotopes?”  
  
     Tim only half paid any attention.  
  
     Damian on the other hand…  
  
     Damian wasn’t actually hating this school.  
  
     He was short amongst people his own age. With people that were at least a year or two older, most of which had already had their growth spurts? He was tiny, but... He was enjoying being in Agriculture. Sure, he already knew a bit about cows, but he also got to learn about goats, pigs, sheep… When he got back, he was going to convince his father that chickens would be a worthy addition to the family.  
  
     Most of the kids in his class hadn’t even known that the myth about feeding cows chocolate making chocolate milk was false. Pathetic, really.  
  
     Then there was Damian’s new acquaintance, Brian. Apparently, he lived at a farm during the summer, and came to stay with his aunt and uncle during the school year. Brian was acceptable company, all things considered.  
  
     The Ag teacher, Mrs. Whipple, had brought in real sheep’s wool, and they were learning how to spool it. Damian had a feeling Mrs. Whipple would quickly become his favorite teacher.  
  
     When they got home, Matt was doing dishes.  
  
     “How was school today?” Matt asked from the kitchen has the boys stepped into the room. Except, there was a third pair of footsteps. Matt listened for a minute before he stiffened. “Why is Spider-Man with you?”  
  
     “What are you talking about?” The third pair of footsteps shuffled nervously against the hardwood floor. “I’m uh… you must’ve confused me for someone else?”  
  
     “Wait, you’re Spider-Man?” Tim raised an eyebrow at Peter.  
  
     “Tt,” Damian ignored them, grabbing his sketchbook and hiding away beneath the table.  
  
     “I’m starting to think getting a slightly bigger apartment might be something to look into,” Matt muttered. “Wait, so you’re saying that you went to school and just so happened to meet Spider-Man?”  
  
     “I… guess so?” Tim looked towards Peter, who let out a sigh of defeat.  
  
     “Don’t tell anyone, okay?” Peter looked towards the ground.  
  
     “Just so we’re on the same page here, I’m Red Robin,” Tim held out a hand.  
  
     “Who?” Peter shook his hand anyways, but his face held confusion.  
  
     “Matt’s Daredevil,” Tim tilted his head towards the man who had decided to begin washing dishes.  
  
     “Wait, wait, wait… Six months ago you tied me to a pole and told me I was too young, and you’re…” Peter looked towards Tim, and then towards Damian. “Unbelievable!”  
  
     “You tied him to a pole?” Tim didn’t sound so much surprised as he did impressed.  
  
     “Yeah, okay, I get it. Now can you two go do whatever it is you were going to do?” Matt turned around, splashing them with water.  
  
     “Right… AP Chemistry! What’s the rundown?” Tim plopped onto the couch, Peter flipping over it with ease.  
  
     “I’ve got my notes right here,” Peter pulled out a binder from his backpack.  
  
     Damian crawled out from his hiding place, walking over to Matt. “Based on how long we’ve been stuck here so far… how long do you think it will be until Drake and I can return home?”  
  
     “I don’t know, bud, but… we aren’t getting anywhere fast,” Matt sighed. “I’ll have to look into seeing if I can afford to get a two bedroom apartment, that way you and Tim don’t have to keep switching between the chair and the couch.”  
  
     “That would be preferable,” Damian nodded sincerely. “I just… miss my father, and Grayson. Todd… is debatable.”  
  
     “I know you do, bud. We’ll figure out a way to get you home soon, I promise. Okay?” Matt gives a hesitant smile. Damian nods curtly.

     “Oh, and I have something I drew for you,” Damian hands him a piece of paper. Matt feels the paper, carefully grooved so that Matt can get a clear view of what it is. A cat, the picture forms in his mind.  
  
     “It’s beautiful, Damian,” Matt places the picture carefully on the fridge so that the magnet won’t push one of the indents out of place. “It’s beautiful.”


	11. Welcome to Subway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been 3 weeks. There's progress, but... it's going to be a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? An update? Made by me? Unheard of.   
> Anyways, enjoy this fantastic chapter that has been done for a month (or two) that I simply forgot I hadn't posted yet.

“Welcome to Subway, may I take your order?” Tim asks with a forced smile written across his face. 

The current customer,  a young girl that’s probably a year or two older than Tim, rattles off her order, and Tim completes the task as quickly as he can without screwing up. He gets to the checkout, and gives a genuine smile as he realizes that his shift is over in about two and a half minutes. He missed being a CEO, but so long as nobody comes during the short amount of time, he’ll be free to go home. 

Who would have thought working at Subway would be so exhausting?

The second the time said 7:00, Tim was off. He waved goodbye to his coworker, who wouldn’t get off for another two hours, then remembered it was Friday. That meant he’d meet up with Matt and Damian on patrol somewhere. 

It’d been three long weeks since they’d arrived, and the nights were beginning to get colder. Well, at least, they would if Tim’s suit didn’t have built in heaters. Either way, they were getting nowhere fast on trying to get home. 

That, of course, didn’t mean they were going to just give up. 

In fact, Tim decided as he in the direction where he knew a certain genius named Tony lived, maybe he should go and check in before getting too involved with beating up criminals. 

Tony was working on something in his lab when Tim tapped on his window. Tim had to stifle a laugh as Tony visibly jumped, but opened the window nonetheless. Tim slinked in, closing the window behind him. 

“So… Any progress?” Tim tilted his head to the side, watching as Tony takes a sip of his coffee.

“Actually, I was just working on it, believe it or not,” Tony gestures to some blueprints. “I think I’ve got the actual mechanics all figured out, I just need to order all the parts, build it, and then make sure it isn’t going to vaporize you when we attempt to send you home.”

Tim looked over them in interest before giving a slow nod. 

“Wait a second, why do you smell like… fresh bread and meatballs?” Tony squinted at him. 

“That would be my day job,” Tim sighed.

“Huh,” Tony nodded, though there’s something spinning around in his mind, as per usual. “I would’ve thought you’d be working at some sort of science facility or something.” 

“Maybe later,” Tim chuckled. “Subway works for right now, though.” 

“Well, if you ever want a job at Stark Industries, call me up and I’ll skip the application and go straight for the interview,” Tony takes another sip from his mug. 

“Yeah, but that require two things; Your phone number, and my identity,” Tim points out. 

“Well,” Tony pulls a business card out of his pocket. “There’s my phone number. Besides, maybe that way you can just call instead of scaring the shit out of me by appearing at my window.” 

“We’ll see,” Tim winks, jumping out the window with little warning. He remembers that Tony couldn’t see him wink, because of the mask, but it’s not important. 

They’re working on a way home.

Tim meets up with Damian and Matt while they’re working on trying to take down some amateur gang that’s started up before a gang war inevitably breaks out. It’s going fairly well, all things considered. 

“What took you so long?” Damian glares upon his entrance, arms crossed across his chest. 

“I went to check in with Stark,” Tim answers truthfully. Damian’s interest perks at that, and even Matt looks vaguely curious. It isn’t often they check in with Stark. “He said he thinks he’s got the blue prints figured out, he just has to build it, test it, and hope for the best.” 

Damian nods before he turns back to scouting the gangs ‘secret’ hideout. It’s an apartment building, fairly nice but not too fancy. At least whoever’s calling the shots is original enough not to host meetings in a rundown warehouse. 

Between Matt and Damian, scouting the place shouldn’t be an issue. However, they’ll need more information than what can be gathered by watching and listening. Tim frowns, a decision quickly forming in his mind. 

“Guys… I think it’s time I reintroduce an old friend of mine; Alvin Draper,” Tim smirks lightly. Damian facepalms, and Matt’s definitely raising an eyebrow behind that cowl of his.


End file.
